Australia supports Vietnam in efforts to lift EC’s IUU fishing ‘yellow card’ warning

Funded by Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the five-year-long project benefits not only Vietnamese fisheries officers and inspectors, but also those in other nations.

The project, which lasts until 2026, is aimed at strengthening fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) systems, Tran Van Hao, coordinator of the project and lecturer of Nha Trang University, said at a briefing detailing the project in Nha Trang, a popular beach city of Khanh Hoa Province, on Thursday.

It comprises a short-term MCS curriculum, MCS training courses held in the province, and officer exchanges.

Two courses were completed, and the third one is currently underway.

Through the project, some 120 fisheries officers from Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations will gain improved MCS expertise and be informed of updated international fishing laws.

Once trained, Vietnamese fisheries officers will be stationed at local seaports to oversee effective monitoring, control, and surveillance operations.

As part of the project, initiated by Nha Trang University, 40 Vietnamese fisheries officers were trained in Da Nang City, central Vietnam in February.

"We had a review of the project last year and got some very positive feedback from the participants in this course," said David Power from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority under the Australian department.

"As a result, we're very pleased to be able to share that we are able to extend the program for another year. 

"So next year we'll be running the course again in 2026 so the overall program is extended till 2027."

At a meeting in mid-April, Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy set a target to have the IUU 'yellow card' lifted by the fourth quarter of 2025, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

This was considered a key and strategic task for the fisheries sector, especially as seafood exports are recovering strongly while also facing geopolitical and trade risks.

The IUU fishing 'yellow card' has been imposed by the EC on Vietnamese seafood since October 2017.